Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The WNBA Rookie of the Year rankings reveal a clear frontrunner with several intriguing contenders climbing the board.
- One undrafted player has emerged as a surprising standout, while a former top draft pick shows promising signs of adapting to the professional level.
- The battle for second place is heating up, with key performances that could reshape rookie expectations for multiple franchises.
The WNBA Rookie of the Year race is pretty much over. It's a shame, though, that Justine Pissott didn't make her debut until July, as she scored 17 points off the bench for the Las Vegas Aces in her WNBA debut. Maybe if we'd gotten a full season from Pissott, Olivia Miles would be facing some pressure?
Alas, Miles instead has things wrapped up, though the real battle is still happening as we wait to see who will finish second in the voting. A couple of intriguing names have ascended into the battle since our last look at things.
5. Sydney Taylor, Chicago Sky
The most surprising rookie this season has been Chicago's Sydney Taylor, who went undrafted out of Louisville in 2024. After some time spent overseas, she signed a training camp deal with the Sky back in April.
Since then, Taylor has earned a starting spot in Chicago, where she's been one of the only bright spots for a team that's severely underperformed expectations. She's averaging 13.0 points per game this season and has been especially good since moving into the starting unit, averaging 16.6 points per game as a starter and shooting 35.6 percent from deep in those games.
Taylor has firmly earned her place in this league. There's still work to be done — you'd like to see a little more consistency from her shooting, considering she's mostly an off-ball option — but this has to be one of the best stories in the league, even as the Sky as a whole have struggled.
4. Flau'jae Johnson, Seattle Storm
Flau'jae Johnson is no longer the top rookie on the Seattle Storm, but that's fine. She wasn't expected to be the best one, and even with Awa Fam surpassing her, Johnson is still hitting above her draft spot.
So far this season, Johnson ranks third among all rookies in points per game, first in rebounds per game and seventh in assists per game. Efficiency is a serious concern, but Johnson's on-ball skills and motor have, so far, allowed her to perform well despite a poor shooting percentage.
Does that have to change for her to stick in the league? Sure, but she shot the ball extremely well from deep at LSU, so the upside is certainly there for Johnson to figure her shot and become a potential All-Star level player.
3. Awa Fam, Seattle Storm
The pre-draft talk about Awa Fam centered on the fact that she had the upside to completely take over this league. Players like her — a big with guard skills who can score from anywhere — are rare. But her quest for Rookie of the Year got off to a slow start, as she was still overseas at the start of the year, and her minutes were low at the start.
But Fam has put things together, and is closing in on Johnson in most stats. The reason I have her ahead right now is that she's proven to be a better shooter than Johnson so far, plus she's turning the ball over less.
Maybe more importantly, Fam's performance introduces the possibility that we have a real battle in the future for the title of "best player from the 2026 WNBA Draft." It would take a miracle for her to catch up in the Rookie of the Year race, but the talent isn't a question, and Fam has a chance to be the cornerstone of this Seattle Storm rebuild.
2. Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings
The No. 1 overall pick has been the second-best rookie in the league this season, and there's no shame in that. Sure, she doesn't look like an instant superstar in the way Miles does, but she's doing what she needs to do as an off-ball shooter who can take pressure off Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale.
If this — a really good 3-and-D wing — is all Fudd ends up being, Wings fans might be a bit disappointed considering she went first overall, but her college career provides evidence that she can become a top-five shooter in this league, so there's upside for her to be an elite shooter who also provides excellent team defense.
It's going to be interesting to see what happens over the next few seasons roster-wise in Dallas and how Fudd adapts to that. Arike Ogunbowale is still having the worst shooting season of her career and is on a completely different timeline from the rest of this roster. If the team moves on from her at some point, can Fudd slide into a secondary ball-handler role?
1. Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx
There is simply no argument against Olivia Miles here. She's the rookie leader in points and assists while ranking top five in rebounds, steals and blocks while serving as the most important player on a team that's currently sitting in the No. 1 seed in the playoff picture.
The better question? How high can Miles finish in the MVP voting, especially if the Lynx are able to finish with the WNBA's best record?
Otherwise, IDK here. Miles has been so good and has put so much distance between herself and the rest of the field that it's almost just boring to even write about this race right now, because it isn't a race. Miles has lapped the field a couple of times, and unless she suffers a mechanical failure on the final lap, she's going to see that checkered flag.
More WNBA news and analysis
Add us as a preferred source on Google